Back to LA we travel - the last leg of the trip....

Day 4 cont

Well we almost didn’t make it.  Although booked and paid for, the shuttle was a no show.  I contacted them about 20 minutes after pick up only for the online chat lady to advise they turned up and we weren’t there!  Like hell, we were outside 10 minutes prior to pick up time.  So online lady can’t help anymore and abruptly ends chat, so I call them.  I was first in line for 10 minutes – I guess they only have one person working then?  I was getting nowhere fast so we booked an UBER but yikes it cost us over $200!  Sure nice ride, but $200+  I left a message for Prime Time shuttles to call me so I could get a refund.

Arrive at airport and only have to wait 30 minutes to have our luggage collected and then only a 3 hour wait for plan to San Fran.  LA airport is hectic and for a while we were sitting on the floor – not enough seating, or too many people?

Finally board and after a quick 53 minute flight I start seeing the delight that is San Francisco.  Lovely looking from the air and it was great not having to wait for luggage.  UBERed it to our apartment and it is so cute!  Old but very quaint and well equipped unit. 

Needed to stretch our legs, so we ventured down the hill (the first of what would be many for me!) to Divisadero St. 

Very hip, cool street with lots of little wine bars and cafes. Alas we didn’t venture into a wine bar, but into a nice warm (it’s cold here, even though it is Summer!) little café for a bit to eat and a warm coffee.

This trip and been go go go for so long so it was nice to have a night in by the fire.  We went to this gorgeous fancy little grocery store – Bi Rite – and I bought some cheese platter food and a nice Sav Blanc and headed back up the hill to start the fire.

Quiet night in.  Sher watched TV (in my room) and I read on her bed – LOL (the lounge room) and polished off the wine – whoops – but it was nice with some cheese and crackers.

Lights out around 10pm but rudely awoken at 1.30am by those returning to the units and then walking like elephants across their floor – our ceiling. Actually they were like it earlier, but deadest – why on earth would somebody need to move that much in one small unit – and move furniture and thump around like Dumbo the elephant?  Finally dozed off again!

Day 5 – 9/7/14

Huge morning walk – well it wasn’t planned. Sher slept and I decided to get out and explore San Fran – left the unit just after 6am.  Put on my app ‘Map my run’ and thought I would head towards the water.  So I headed, and headed and headed.  OMG would I ever see water?  Walked through some homeless sections (I have never seen so many homeless people, really sad L) and finally, like a new day dawning, there it was – WATER!!  I had arrived down at the Ferry Station.  I continued walking and snapping photos and by then it was about 80 minutes into my walk so I thought I better head back to unit – thinking Sher would be up by now? 

I had no idea what was in store for me!  I should have known, right?  We have all seen the photos of San Fran – they are renowned for their hills (and tram cars).  But blame it on being early, or me just being keen to explore a new city, but I had to tackle some ridiculous hills!  One nearly killed me only for me to know I had another section to go – another section so steep they had to cut stairs into it – groannnnnnn.

But I did it – a couple of stops to gulp in some air but WOW was the view worth it?  You bet it was.  I was in Pacific Heights – a beautiful area – and the reason why I have so many house shots – these places are just gorgeous!

Wandered more and then when I thought I was getting closer to home I messaged Sheri to see if she wanted to meet at ‘The Mill’ for breakky.  She was up and was up for a bite to eat.  I thought I was about 15 minutes away but alas more hills and about 25 minutes later I arrived.  Tired but exhilarated if you can be both at once?

Had some of the yummiest toast and nice skinny mocha and then we went back to unit so I could freshen up a bit.

And let me tell you – it was a day for walking – we headed off to Golden Gate thinking it was a bit of a walk but by the time we got there, it was a HUGE walk – another 3 hour walk – lucky, again, that the view was well worth it.  We were going to cycle across (the bridge has a massive span) but we both too beggared to even contemplate that! 

Took the obligatory photos and caught a bus back to the city.

This is where it gets really cool!  Stopped at some lights in God knows where and I see a pub, one that is broadcasting the FIFA World cup.  I say to Sher, want to get off and watch here and she was yes so we race to the bus door and get off just in time.

$10 entry fee for entry into the Kezar Pub but that got you’re a beer each.  Sher didn’t want hers so I obliged and had it for her J  Then a few more – my lunch. Sher pigged out on wings and chips.  Watched Argentina scrape through, in this packed bar – it was fun. 

Luckily a bus pulled up straight away when we walked outside so we went back to the unit and freshened up for the Giants game at AT&T stadium.

UBERed it (were were going to walk, thank God we didn’t!) to the stadium and it was packed – turned out it was the 295^th sell out game in a row.

And they were playing their cross bay rivals, Oakland (I am getting geography lessons on this trip too!).  Was a pretty good game with the Giants winning – you wouldn’t know it though, the Oakland fans still shouted their team’s name the whole walk outside.  Oh did I tell you it was freezing.  I didn’t wear enough and struggled most of the game and at the end we had Sher’s Boston jumper over our laps – OMG freezing.

UBERed home and went to bed for another disruptful night sleep – deadest the morons upstairs are insane – I cannot figure out for the life of me how somebody can walk around that much –and how heavily!!

 

Day 6 – 10/7/14

Still awake early regardless of what upstairs managed to do and discovered we had no loo paper left – lucky I got one last visit in – sorry Sher!  Contacted owner and they were most apologetic and organised for some to be delivered.  YES big news, having no toilet paper!

We walked slowly down to Pier 33 through Page and Market St - long walk and made ferry for Alcatraz, just.

Nice journey from the Pier to the island with fantastic views of San Fran. 

The audio tour on the island was great – and you could just imagine how cold and isolated you would have felt being a prisoner here!

Toured for about 2 hours and then caught the ferry back and walked over to Pier 39.  Super busy, us tourists certainly know how to pack it all in to one place.  Meandered around, saw some Sea Lions (cute!!) and I bought some fudge – a wicked treat for later.

Caught the F car down to ferry terminal and walked to the California tram line so we could catch the tram up the very steep hill.  It cost $6 (bit of a rip off) but hey you’ve seen it so many times in the movies, you just had to do it.  It was a nice trip.

To get back to our apartment however, we then had to catch a bus back down to Market street, then another back up to near our street.  Once were warriors old dude sat opposite us and Sher every so subtly got a photo of him.  Nobody else knew what she was doing but I did – haha!

Had a read of my book for a while and then we headed down to Nopalito – authentic Mexican food restaurant, one block down the hill from our unit.  It was delish but boy their servings were big.  Sher had to help me eat the entrée (and it was not finished) and then main meal I could not complete either.  /either way it was yum food and we popped into Faletti’s next door, and I bought some wine to have when we got home.

Read a bit more, had a couple of glasses, packed for our departure and crashed.  Crashing most nights!!

All my San Fran photos(and all those houses) can be found by clicking here

Day 7 – 11/7/14

Up early for our 8.55am flight, our last internal flight, back to LA.  Had to throw all food (read cheeses and wine (what a waste L)) out and have apartment in neat state – which we managed easily enough.  Of course another bad night sleep because of the knobs upstairs (I have so many other superlatives I could use) which really dampened my thoughts of where we stayed.  Beautiful old apartment, great location just really bad co-tenants L

Our last UBER trip in the states too – which turned out to be $40 cheaper that our incoming fare (I have sent query off) and we arrived at the nicest airport I have ever seen.  San Fran airport is really nice!

Good, smooth, quick flight to LA and we were out of the terminal at 11am.  Stewy and her hubby Andy were coming to pick us up but running late due to an accident.  They kept sending messages keeping us updated, and apologising.  I was SORRY they came to get us, what a day for them!  Turned out to be a 2.5 hour trip for them – so you can imagine we were very grateful for them coming to get us.  Had our luggage in storage delivered whilst waiting and they turned out to be a bit of a rip off, but at least we didn’t have to lug our gear around in San Fran so in a way it paid off.

Andy and Stewy took us via Venice and I know it is famous but I thought it was horrible. 

Dirty and con artists everywhere, but I did have to get a photo with the weightlifters – of course I did have to pay for it – ha!  Check out the Mountain on my right, he’s huge!!

We then went to Malibu and stopped in at this quaint little place and had a late lunch.  Huge choice of sangers and they were really delicious.

Continued along the coast line, saw Santa Monica pier and then we headed up into the mountains to get to their home in Thousand Oaks.

Sher went with Stewy to her softball training (Stewy runs softball business – very well too!) and Andy and I had a beer then went to Costco to buy some steaks for dinner.  Yes I am being brave and trying another steak here after the disaster of Smith and Wollensky.

So we arrive at Costco and I couldn’t believe the cost of alcohol – unbelievably cheap!  Anyway we walked past the first lot and we had been talking lobsters and all of a sudden there they are.  So I lift the lid with Andy we help ourselves and off we walk only to be chased down by a worker saying we can’t do what we did and he has to price it – whoops!!

Found the steaks and then more alcohol – we bought some Corona’s and confirmed we would have a rum or beer when we got home.  Bless Andy, he had bundy rum at his house.

Got home, poured a bundy rum and Andy prepared dinner.  Talked a lot and then the girls returned home and Andy cooked.  And he will be the first to admit he over cooked the steaks a little but they were really perfect – shit on Wollensky!!  Actually quite possibly the nicest meal I have had on this trip.  We sat around and chatted for a bit (dinner wasn’t served until 10pm) and I headed off to bed at 11.

Asleep within 2 minutes!